What is Mindfulness?

By one definition, mindfulness means maintaining a moment-by-moment awareness of our thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, and surrounding environment.

Yet mindfulness also involves acceptance. Meaning that we pay attention to our thoughts and feelings without judging them-without believing. For instance, that there’s a “right” or ‘’wrong” way to think or feel in a given moment. When I practice mindfulness, my thoughts tune into what I’m sensing in the present moment rather than rehashing the past or imagining the future.

I don’t train client’s much anymore because of my amazing, competent team of Functional Aging Specialists. Also because I MUST be mindful of the things that need to be done to move my business forward. As a result, my day consists of working ON my business with focus and purpose to reach as many people as I can with our unique approach to health and fitness for the de-conditioned and over 50 crowd.

 A Real Treasure

One of the treasures of training clients for years and years is the plethora of ideas that are given me on topics to write to you about. Referred to us by a local physical therapist, a woman recently hired us with a long term experience of chronic pain and as a result was full of fear that this pain would reoccur and could possibly be triggered by exercise.

After consulting with her, it became clear to me the limitation she was primarily dealing with was the fear. I visited with her regarding ways she could be mindful and mostly visited with Jay who would be her trainer. She asked me later if I would consider a workshop on the subject of “mindfulness” and I must say I’m considering it.

Thus I thought I’d write to you a bit about mindfulness first, get your feedback and share some personal hacks that help me to stay in the present moment, mindful of doing the “Next Right Thing”.

My Mindful Practices for you to Takeaway

• Re-hydrating my body upon waking with a full 20 oz. glass of water
• Using Keto//Kreme in my coffee to give my brain the “good” fats it needs to start my day with mental clarity and focus. For more information and where to order https://goo.gl/DTLJRe
• Spending 30 minutes in spiritual study time and I may do this in different ways
  • I consider Richard Rohr my spiritual guide and follow his daily meditations, read from his books or attend his on-line courses. For more information visit https://cac.org/
• Meditating for 20 minutes and have had different practices over the years
  • Christ Centered Prayer is my foundational meditation practice https://goo.gl/Nea6XW centeringprayer.png
  • I have an app on my phone – Centering Prayer. (admittedly I mostly just like the timer and the sound of the Singing Bowl) I still practice the Christ Centered Prayer. Here’s what the app icon looks like
• Working out with 2 good friends 30+ minutes daily for the accountability and fellowship
• Take a daily inventory as needed using another phone app called Sacred Space. I use this to practice an “attitude of gratitude”, journal and self-reflect. For Sacred Space information, go here http://www.sacredspace.ie/
• Silent retreat 3 – 4 times per year to lehb shomea to mostly stop the noise in my head. http://www.lebhshomea.org/ I try not to take anything that adds to my mental mania as I really need to defrag! A few things that I do take with me …
  • My journal to reflect and to add to as things rise
  • Blank art paper to draw (scribble), color and Zen tangle … I can do this for hours when I’m alone.
  • If I read, it’s something from the library that is there. I read Gift of the Red Bird: The Story of a Divine Encounter by Paula D’Arcy last time I retreated.
  • A water bottle and weather appropriate gear because I walk and walk and walk for miles and miles on the numerous trails that are on the property.

I seriously had no idea where this newsletter was going. Please take what you like of the resources that help me to live a more physically, mentally and spiritually balanced life and leave the rest.

Please share my newsletter with your friends. You might just plant a seed in them and get to watch it grow!

Again, I’d love to hear back from you … what do you think of a Mindful Retreat sometime?